Pencil-sharpener.



J. E. WHITAGRE.

PENCIL SHARPENEE.

APPLICATION FILED D150. 26, 1912.

1,095,612, Patented May 5,1914.

wzmwa/ Zmwzaz- MM W 3% COLUMBIA PMNOORAPH 50., WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED S A ES A JAMES E. WHITACRE, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

PENGIL-SI-IARPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 26, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES E. WVHITAcRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pencil- Sharpeners, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to construct a pencil sharpener of an inexpensive and simple design and in which the blade or knife shall be easily adjusted.

A further object is to construct the pencil sharpener of such a form that it may be applied to small stationary and desk articles, such as, paper-weights, blotter-pads, desk-trays, etc.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the pencil sharpener with a portion of its top broken away. Fig. 2 is a section on the line aa of Fig. 1 showing the method of sharpening the pencil. Fig. 3 is a section on line b?) of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a detail of the spring for contacting the knife blade.

The base plate 1 forms a support for the concave shell 2, the shell being simply held in a fitting engagement with the base, and the two members forming a desirable receptacle for the shavings cut from the pencil. At the central portion of the top of the concave shell is an opening 3, at the two sides of which are formed the upturned guides 4.

A knife blade 5, being yieldable in construction and having a cutting-edge at both of its ends, is adjustably held to the under face of the concave shell by the adjusting screw 6 in such a manner that one of the cutting-edges is located in the opening 3 and projects slightly above the top of the shell. A spring plate 7 lies intermediate the blade 5 and shell 2, its two opposite ends resting on the shell and a downturned central strip 8 engaging the lower end of the blade 5.

As is seen in Fig. 2, blade 5 may pivot from the point 9 and the spring plate 7 with the cooperation of the spring quality of the blade itself and the screw 6 holds the blade yieldable in position, while the screw 6 lying between the pivotal point and yieldable support, varies the tension of said support thereby pivoting the blade and raising or lowering the height of the cutting-edge located in the opening 8.

In sharpening a pencil, the base is held fixed and a pencil drawn over the opening of the shell, thus engaging the projecting knife edge and resulting in the cutting of shavings from the pencil longitudinally, the repeated action of which results in a very desirable sharpened point on the pencil.

It will be seen that with the convexity of the face of the shell, a free easy movement can be given the pencil, the pencil being held from lateral displacement by the upturned edges 4. It will also be noted that the cutting-edge of the blade is yieldable and is depressed when a cut is attempted too large for its capacity, or when the quality of the wood is too hard; also the blade may be reversed when one of the cutting-edges becomes dull and the blade is easily adjustable by removing the shell and adjusting the screw 6 as above indicated. It will be noted that a shell of this type, carrying the sharpening means, may be applied to many desk and stationary articles, that is, to the top thereof, to good advantage because of the association of such articles with the employment and use of pencils.

I claim as my invention:

1. A pencil sharpener comprising a convex shell adapted to be detachably held in a base, the base and shell forming a shaving receptacle, the shell having an opening in its convex surface, pencil sharpening means carried on the inner side of the shell comprising, a blade having a cutting-edge located in the opening, the blade being in contact with an edge of said opening means for yieldably depressing the other end of blade, and means for adjusting the portion of the blade intermediate said contact and depres sion points to vary the position of the cuttingedge in the opening.

2. A pencil sharpener comprising a convex shell having an opening therein, a blade having a cutting-edge located in the opening and the blade being in pivotal contact with the shell at a point adjacent said opening, a spring engaging the end of the blade opposite said cutting-edge end and lying intermediate the blade and shell, and an adjusting screw connecting the blade and shell and located at a point of the blade intermediate the pivotal point thereof and the spring engagement and adapted to vary the position of said cutting-edge in the opening.

3. A pencil sharpener comprising a convex body portion having an opening in its surface, a blade disposed at llie innr side in vary The position of the cutting edge in o said convex pei'ti-on with a cutting edge said opening. at one end of the blade re "11;; in cenlaet pencil sharpener eompi'isingeeonvex Willi )1; point adjacent an edge (if said shell adapted to be cletaelmbly held in a base, 5 epcni L llie blade disposed cliercl il'e liliebase and shell ferining a shaving recepspzninn d inner convex QfillilOll of e 1e leele ellcl (lie shell having an opening in its becly with im eppesil e end 1 Orion bearing 1 e, pencil sharpening means face 01" saie body, and lie inner side of the shell, com- View flatle having a cutting-edge l0- ]5? p ble ning and having a portion p be as n 0111 Y in Contact with the shell t 1 in 0;? said opening,

Bil of the blade opposite ml, and mean for ecljalstthe blade intermediate in vary the pesitien of said opening.

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LCCANNA, 51"

r'cien may be ecljnstee 23 min said c-en ex shell pert E. U. L. EEHEL.

addressing the Gommissiener of Eatents.

Copies of this Patent may be obtained for five cents each, by Washington. G. 

